Boat-lowering apparatus



(No Model.) 2 SAeets-Sheet 1. J. H. THROOP.

BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS.

No. 459,822. Patented Sept. 22, 1891.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. H. THROOP. BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS.

Patented Sept. 22, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HAMILTON THROOP, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

BOAT-LOWERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,822, datedSeptember 22, 1891.

Application filed July 16, 1891. Serial No. 399,718. (No model.)

To (all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HAMILTON THROOP, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Boat Raising and LoweringApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boats, and more especially to mechanism whichis used for raising and lowering life-boats and yawls over ships sides;and the object of the same is to produce certain improvements in devicesof this character whereby they may be operated by one person to lowerthe boat, even when filled with people, or by two persons to raise theboat out of the water.

To this end the invention consists in the specific details ofconstruction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and asillustrated on the two accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figurel isaside elevation of thisimproved device as viewed when looking towardthe ship, the cranes being swung inwardly and a life-boat being shown indotted lines as supported thereby. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line2 2 of Fig. 1, with the crane swung outwardly and viewed in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 3 is'a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,with the crane omitted. Fig. 4: is a perspective detail of one 'of thewindingdrums. Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the brakes. Fig. 6 is avertical section of the upper end of one upright, showing the wheelframeswiveled therein.

Referring to the said drawings, the letters U U designate the mainuprights mounted at their lower ends in sockets S on the deck of aVessel, and these uprights are preferably connected by upper and lowerhorizontal braces H and 11, the upper brace extending through or pastthe uprights and being connected with inclined braces I I, leadingoutwardly to the deck, as seen in Fig. 1. A rearwardly-inclined brace Iconnects the center of the upper brace with the deck, or, if desired,there may be several of such rearWardly-inclined braces. The lowerhorizontal brace is preferably sustained by additional supports A and A,of which latter there are two, rising above said lower brace andprovided at their upper ends with bearings b for a purpose to appearhereinafter. Still further additional supports A rise from the deck andcarry bearings B, and one of these supports is continued above itsbearing, as at a There is also still another additional support A allsuch supports rising from sockets S on the deck and being for a purposeto be presently explained.

The letters 0 O designate the cranes, each of which is preferably aboutof the construction shown-that is to say, alight open framework oftriangular contour braced by horizontal and vertical rodsand the innervertical bar of each crane is provided with a number of downwardlyturned pintles P, which engage and turn in eyes 19 of collars K, thelatter being mounted on the uprights and rendered Vertically adjustableby means of set-screws it through their rear sides. When there arerearwardly-inclined braces opposite the uprights U, they carry at theirupper ends yokes Y, whose feet are connected with the braces I and whosearms are connected, as

at y, with the upper horizontal brace H each side of the upright U, asseen in Fig. 1, and this construction'permits the uppermost of thesockets K to be adjusted vertically on the upright.

The letter M designates the main operating-shaft, which is journaled inthe bearings B, above mentioned, extends throughout the length of thedevice, has drums D near its ends preferably located in casings O,mounted on the uprights, and has large gears G on its extremities. Insaid casings are also journaled transverse shafts T, carrying smallgears G, intermeshing, with said large gears and having theirextremities T squared, so as to receive operating-handles T as shown.The drums D are preferablyprovided on their faces with spiral grooves D,as seen in Fig. 4. Secured to each drum is the main operating-rope R,which extends upwardly over a wheel at the upper end of the upright,thence outwardly over a wheel WV at the outer end of the crane, andthence downwardly t0 the boat, to which it is detachably connected, asseen. The WheelW is mounted in a frame-work having a depending pin orstud which is journaled in a socket in the upper end of the upright, asseen in Fig. 6. By this construction when the handles T are applied tothe squared ends T of the transverse shafts T and turned theintermeshing of the gears G and G will cause a rotation of the mainshaft M and of both the drums D, and by reason of the spiral grooves Din said drums the two ropes R will be drawn upwardly at precisely thesame speed to elevate the boats ends evenly.

On the main shaft M, opposite the additional support A is keyed a drum Daround which passes a flexible metallic strap F, whose ends areconnected with a lever L, and the latter is pivoted between the pointsof c011- nect-ion of the strap in the upper end of the additionalsupport A The boat having been raised, when it becomes desirable tolower it the crank-handles T are removed from the shafts 'l, the cranesswung out from the ship, and the boat allowed to descend. During suchdescent the ropes R unwind from the drums D and the main shaft M is ofcourse revolved, and by the construction of brake mechanism abovedescribed pressure upon the free end of the lever L will cause theflexible strap F to tightly embrace the drum D whereby a single operatormay control the speed of descent of the boat, even though it be filledwith people.

' For the purpose of swinging the cranes inwardly I provide a smallershaft on, journaled in the bearings 19 and having drums (Z, providedwith spiral grooves, the ends of this shaft passing through casings candtheir extremities having gears g, meshing with others g on transverseshafts t, the latter having crank-handles t all the same as the boatraising and lowering mechanisms, with perhaps the exception that thecrank-handles need not in this case be removable. From the drums (Zextend the ropes r, passing upwardly over snatch-blocks w, which areconnected to oblique braces 0 between the uprights and the upperhorizontal brace,whence the ropes 0' lead inwardly to near the center ofsaid brace over other snatchblocks w and are connected with the swingingends of the cranes. 3y this construction, when one or both of the crankst are operated the swingin g ends of the cranes C are brought inwardly,so as to move the boat over the gunwale of the ship, as shown in Fig. 1.Obviously the weight of the boat and the inclined position of the ropesR between it and the pulleys IV will produce a tendency to swing thecranes automatically outward, and such swinging would produce anunwinding of the ropes r from the drums (Z and a backward revolution ofthe shaft m; so I have provided a drum d encircled by a flexible strapf, connected to a lever Z and operating in the same manner as the largerbrake, above described. I say larger because all of this mechanism forswinging the cranes is preferably on a smaller scale than that forraising and lowering the boat, so much strength not being required. Thespiral grooves in the drums cl will cause the two ropes r to windsimultaneously on the drums, so that the two cranes will be brought inat equal speed.

All the bars, uprights, and braces of this structure are preferably ofmetal tubing, as shown, joined at their points of intersection byelbows, as is well known in the art, and the structure is thereforelight and ornamental, but at the same time sufficiently strong for theuses to which it is put.

The parts may be painted or galvanized, so as to prevent rusting, andthe upright members are preferably all mounted removably in the socketson the deck, so that the entire device can be taken down, if desired,and so that it constitutes an attachment capable of beingapplied to thedeck of any vessel. The ropes may be of wire, if desired, and theswiveling of the wheel IV in the upper end of each upright permits suchwheel to turn with the crane, although it is not mounted thereon.

\Vith this machine a single operator can lower a boat full of people andin a very short space of time, and two operators could raise a heavyyawl onto the ship.

IVhat is claimed as new is 1. In a boat-lowering apparatus, thecombination, with two uprights connected and supported by horizontal andinclined braces, wheels mounted in frames having depending studsswiveled in the upper ends of the uprights, winches mounted in casingscarried by the uprights, and a shaft connecting the drums of saidwinches, of swinging cranes pivotally connected to said uprights andcarrying wheels at their outer ends, and ropes leading from said drumsover the swiveled wheels and over the wheels in the frames, as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. In a boat-lowering apparatus, the combination, with two uprights,connections and supports therefor, wheels mounted in frames havingdepending studs swiveled in the upper ends of said uprights, swingingcranes pivotally connected to the uprights, and wheels at the outer endsof the cranes, of winches mounted in casings carried by the uprights,the drums of said winches having spiral grooves in their faces, a shaftconnecting said drums, a brake mechanism on said shaft, and a ropeleading from each drum over the wheel in the upright and thence overthat in the crane, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a boat-lowering apparatus, the combination, with two uprights,horizontal braces connecting them, inclined braces supporting thesemembers, adjustable collars on the uprights, and swinging cranespivotally con nected to said collars, of two winches supported by eachupright, horizontal shafts connecting the winches in pairs, brakemechansms on the shafts, an oblique brace connectmg each upright withthe upper cross-brace. a snatch-block con nected to said oblique brace,another snatch-block carried by said cross- IIO brace near its center, arope leading from each of theuppermostwinches over said two snatcl1blocks and connected with the crane, and another rope leading from eachof the lowermost winches over suitable wheels carried by the upright andby the crane, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a boat-lowering apparatus, the combination, with two uprights U,upper and lowerhorizontal braces H H, connecting them, additionalsupports A and A, rising fromthe base and connected to the lowercross-brace, the latter supports rising above said brace and carryingbearings b, additional support-s A carrying bearings B and one of themhavin g an extension a and a final additional support A of a main shaftM, journaled in said bearings B and having winches at its ends, a brakemechanism for said shaft mounted on the final additional support A asupplemental shaft a, mounted in the bearings b and having winches atits ends, a brake mechanism for this shaft mounted on the extension aswinging cranes pivoted to the uprights, boat raising and lowering ropesleading from the main winches over pulleys in the outer ends of thecranes, and crane-swinging ropes leading from the supplemental winchesover pulleys on the upper cross-brace to said cranes, the whole adaptedfor operation substantially as described.

5. In a boat-lowering apparatus, the combination, with two uprights, anupper horizontal brace connecting their upper ends and continuing acrossthe same, and inclined braces leading from the ends of this crossbraceto the base, of collars adj ustably mounted on said uprights, cranespivoted to said with its ends connected to the lever on opposite sidesof its pivot, of winding-drums on said shaft, gears also thereon,transverse shafts in the casings, having squared. outer ends and havingsmall gears engaging said others, crank-handles detachably engaging saidsquared ends, cranes connected to the uprights, and ropes passing fromsaid drums to the cranes, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoaffixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HAMILTON THROOP.

Witnesses:

ROBERT ROWLAND, J AMES HOWARD, Jr.

